Italy makes many people dream through its beaches, its cities, and its gastronomy. Yet, it feels like certain regions are somewhat overlooked by tourists. We took a gamble on targeting Puglia for this very reason and absolutely loved it!
We are going to detail our one-week road trip through the Puglia region: Monopoli, Bari, Lecce, Alberobello, Locorotondo, Ostuni, Polignano a Mare, Brindisi. We will also detail the most beautiful secluded beaches, the restaurants, and the accommodations we tried.
Arrival in Bari
We flew from Charleroi Airport for a quick flight to Bari without the slightest turbulence. Once we arrived, we picked up our luggage before experiencing a dreadful moment.
While we thought we were about to pick up the keys to our rental car, which was essential for our week's itinerary, that was not the case. Indeed, a rule buried deep in the terms and conditions stipulated that the credit card had to be in the name of the primary driver, and there was absolutely nothing we could do about it.
Fortunately, we had booked our first night near the airport, so we took a taxi to the Riva del Sole Hotel. We ate there and figured out a backup plan before finally being able to think about something else.
Monopoli and the Southern Beaches
Up early to arrive for the opening of the car rental offices, we finally found one that accepted a credit card under any name. Thank you, Locauto.
We finally hit the road with our hybrid Lancia and reached Monopoli. A very lovely and cute little town where we strolled around and enjoyed an octopus panini with a spritz.
We then found a small, secluded beach south of the town where we enjoyed the sunny afternoon. After Spiaggia la Scaletta, we also went to check out Grotta della Cala.
In the evening, we reached our central hub for the days to come: Ostuni. The white city is beautiful with all its lights at night. We ate a pizza and headed back to our apartment.
Alberobello, Locorotondo, and Ostuni
On Monday, we got up early to head to Alberobello and beat the crowds of tourists. These little houses are truly unique, and the narrow streets are really wonderful to wander through.
We followed that up with Locorotondo. Another small village, undoubtedly less touristy, but with a lovely historic center. We took advantage of a small terrace to try an appetizer platter and some more spritzes.
Another afternoon spent testing out beaches, this time at Quarto di Monte. A large sandy beach, with no one else around.
In the evening, we intentionally got lost in the streets of Ostuni. After a drink in a small bistro, we decided to eat a selection of local cheeses and wines in our apartment.
Polignano a Mare
We started this day by trying different local pastries, and it was delicious. We then headed to Polignano a Mare, which offers truly magnificent views of its cliffside houses.
The center is really cute and even includes a small pebble beach where we swam and watched an octopus fisherman. A perfect transition for our lunch: paninis stuffed with those famous octopuses.
That evening, we ate in Ostuni once again. But this time, we tried the signature dish of the region: orecchiette al cime di rapa. A delight for both of us at the Sapori e Sapere restaurant.
Secret Cove and Express Visit of Brindisi
On Wednesday, we woke up a bit later and had a wonderful homemade lunch: cheese, cold cuts, pastries, and salad. Everything is so good here.
We headed to another small, secluded beach near Grotta Azzurra called Spiaggia della Gola. We were completely alone the entire afternoon! Absolute bliss.
The city of Brindisi then welcomed us for the rest of the day for a quick visit and a large gelato. We also stopped at another terrace with the usual spritzes and pizzas right across from the water.
Lecce, Our Disappointment
We finally left our cozy little cocoon in Ostuni to head toward the southern tip of Puglia. On the way, we stopped in Lecce, which we had heard so many great things about.
Bad surprise: a tire was flat, which took up a good part of our day, leaving us very little time to explore the city under gloomy weather... We don't even have a good memory of the food. Quite a failure.
We eventually received another car and continued toward Otranto. A cute little town, and an excellent restaurant, Vecchia Otranto, to cheer us up.
Caves and Otranto
We enjoyed the hotel breakfast that day and headed out to visit some well-known caves. It turned out to be quite disappointing due to a huge downpour that caught us.
We comforted ourselves with a relaxing afternoon in Otranto, filled with sunshine, paninis, gelato, and once again dining at the previous night's restaurant that we had liked so much.
Visiting Bari
Our last day started with the hotel breakfast. We then headed to Sant'Andrea for its impressive rock formations in the middle of the sea.
A long drive back to Bari, which we hadn't had time to visit on the way in. The city is quite nice, even if it pales in comparison to all the others in the region. Perhaps the weather got the better of our judgment. We ate our last pasta dishes in a small eatery and made it to the airport without any trouble.
Puglia is truly a fantastic destination. There are plenty of towns and villages with very little driving time between each. The sea is never far away, and there are quite a few small, secluded beaches. The food definitely lives up to its reputation. And the locals are generally friendly.
We will certainly come back to this region, and why not try the west coast, which we completely missed due to a lack of time? In any case, we can only highly recommend Puglia!
Enjoy your next trip!
